No long-term psychological reaction to information about increased risk of coronary heart disease in general practice

Abstract

Background: Randomised, controlled trials focusing on long-term psychological reactions to information about increased risk of coronary heart disease are scarce.

Design: A population-based randomised, controlled, 5-year follow-up trial was conducted in general practice.

Methods: In 1991, invitations were sent to 2,000 middle-aged people registered in the general practices in the district of Ebeltoft, Denmark. A total of 1,507 (75.4%) agreed to participate and were randomised into a control group and two intervention groups: one included health screening, a written feedback and an optional follow-up visit with the general practitioner; the other included health screening, written feedback and a planned 45-min follow-up visit with the general practitioner. The participants were informed at screening about their risk of developing coronary heart disease. Psychological distress was measured by the GHQ-12 before screening and at the 1 and the 5-year follow-up.

Results: Before the screening (0 year), 1 and 5 years after there were no significant differences in the GHQ-12 score between the control group and the two intervention groups. Nor were there any differences related to information about increased risk of coronary heart disease between scores obtained at the 1 and the 5-year follow-up.

Conclusion: Middle-aged persons had no long-term psychological reaction after information about increased risk of developing coronary heart disease following a health screening in general practice evaluated by the GHQ-12, 1 year and 5 years after the examinations.